SAN FRANCISCO, July 14, (THEWILL) – Sporadic gunshots, Monday, heralded the visit of the former Borno State governor, Senator Ali Modu Sherrif, to Maiduguri, the state capital.
Sherrif had stormed the state in company with his political associates to prepare the ground for his defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Local sources disclosed to THEWILL that the gunshots were fired by security officers to disperse some political thugs that had laid siege at the residence of the former governor who arrived the town after a long absence.
Though no casualty was recorded in the pandemonium that trailed his arrival, a treasurer at the Kala-Balge Local Government Area, was said to have been killed by stray bullets shot by policemen who had intended dispersing the political thugs whose mission to the residence of the politician could not be immediately known.
Some residents of the town said they were at the residence to harass the senator who is said to be perfecting his defection plan even as others said they were just happy to welcome Sherrif back home.
But a local resident said the police and soldiers were harassing everybody, blocking major roads “as if it was the president of the country that was making an appearance.”
According to the source, “They beat many people up and block the major roads with armoured tanks that they should have deplored to fight insurgents as if any one of note is interested in Sheriff sudden reappearance.
“It was during the harassment and the shooting that the man who was not part of the crowd was hit by the stray bullet.”
Efforts to get police confirmation of the incident was not successful when filing this report as calls made to the telephone line of the state Police Public Relations Officer, Gideon Jibrin, did not go through.
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